


i think we have a problem...

by rootcr0p



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, OT5, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:40:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23859967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rootcr0p/pseuds/rootcr0p
Summary: ot5 fluff with the story centered around son seungwan. slice-of-life with slight fantasy elements. wendy is baby.(cross-posted from aff, ready to download in different formats~)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	1. One

***ka-talk***

The notification alert echoed throughout Joohyun's tiny bedroom, waking her from her light sleep. She felt around the bed for her cellphone, managed to grasp it from under her pillow, and blinked blearily at the screen. The time read 4:23 a.m.

A message from Seulgi had popped into their Kakao Talk group chat: _Ummm guys, I think we have a problem..._ 😃

Joohyun sighed and fought back a yawn. Forcing one eye open, she typed in a response. _What is it, Seulgi? Couldn't it have waited until later?_ The yawn escaped. _We have a schedule at noon, you know._

Going by their chat room’s read receipts, it seemed that Sooyoung and Yerim had not been awakened by the message. Seungwan did not seem to have read it, as well.

_Is Seungwan with you?_

_Y_ _es, um._ A pause. _She...she's the problem._

Joohyun shook her head, the corner of her lip turning up in amusement. _Did you two have a fight?_ _Do you want us to lock you into a room again until you make up?_ She recalled the previous incident and laughed silently to herself.

_Joohyun-unnie. It's a bit more serious than that._

At this, Joohyun sat up, concern shocking her mind awake. She replied with more urgency. _What's wrong?_ Her heart raced. _Is Seungwan_ _sick? Hurt?_ She can hear her heartbeat thudding in her ears.

_I...think you should come to our room._

Phone in hand, Joohyun clambered off her bed, feet slipping quickly into slippers, and rushed to Seulgi and Seungwan's room. Light peeked out from the crack under their door, signalling that at least one of the occupants was awake.

She pushed the door open slowly, calling out in a stern stage-whisper to avoid waking the other kids in the house.

“What's wrong? You had better **n** **ot** be pranking me this early in the morn- wha?”

Opening the door wide enough to take in the room, she saw Seulgi sitting between the 94-liners' pushed-together beds, cradling what looked to be a...child...against her shoulder. She closed the door silently behind her, eyes darting quickly across the room.

“Where's Seungwan?” she pressed urgently.

Joohyun maneuvered around the beds to the room's en-suite bathroom, sparing a glance at the dark-haired child whose face was buried in the crook of Seulgi's neck.

She flicked the light on to check inside “I thought– well, _expected_ – that she was with you, seeing as it's an ungodly hour.” then flicked it off, turning to face Seulgi. “Did she go to the maknaes' room?”

Seulgi stared at her but did not reply, a complicated expression on her face.

Joohyun snapped. “That message...I thought she would have been passed out in bed,” Deep heaving breath. “with all the scenarios I'd run through in my head.” Worry had marked her words with a harsh tone.

Walking back around the room, Joohyun tossed her phone to a nearby corner of the bed. She nodded at the child Seulgi was holding.

“And where'd you get that from, anyway? Babysitting doesn't really fit in with our schedule.”

“She's here, unnie.”

Seulgi finally responded, shifting the child to face Joohyun.

“Seungwannie's become a kid.”

“...”

“...”

“A WHAT?!?!”


	2. Two

“You have _got_ to be kidding me.”

Joohyun paced the room frantically, wrapping her arms around herself and spewing out words. 

“Haha. Hahaha. _Please_ tell me you're joking.” 

“Unnie, calm down.” Seulgi's eyes followed Joohyun's attempt to wear out their carpet.

Joohyun was already in her own world, talking herself into a panic. “Seungwan must be hiding somewhere, ready to laugh in my face once I fall for this, right?” She stopped and scanned the room. “A hidden camera, perhaps?”

“I wish.”

The child struggled in Seulgi's grip, and Seulgi loosened her hold to place her on the floor. She toddled over to Joohyun, height barely going over Joohyun's knee, and yanked at the leg of her pajamas. Joohyun instinctively bent over and lifted the child, who settled into her arms comfortably.

Joohyun took the chance to observe the child closely. She looked about 2, with chubby cheeks and shoulder-length, dark hair that, judging from the light hitting it, appeared to be a shade of...purple? A _very_ familiar shade–

Joohyun gasped. 

“Seungwan-ah?” she whispered.

The child in her arms knitted her eyebrows together, looked at her, and nodded grimly.

“It's me, Joohyun-unnie,” she confirmed, with a slight lisp that made her “s” sound like a “th”.

“I, wha? What happened?”

Tiny Seungwan (hereinafter referred to as Wannie) heaved a huge sigh that rippled over her shoulders. She glanced at Seulgi, who gave a reassuring nod, before turning back to Joohyun.

“It's a long story.”

Joohyun peeked at the room’s wall clock. The digital numbers read 5:10 a.m.

“Give me the short version, Wan-ah. We need to figure out what to tell the managers before our schedule today.”

* * *

“So let me see if I got the whole story straight,” Joohyun repeated. “You saw an old lady being bullied, chased the bullies away, the old lady rewarded you with a wish, and then _poof!_ you became a child?” Her voice grew louder with each word.

She adjusted Wannie's position on her lap, having sat down on the bed beside Seulgi to fully absorb the details of Wannie's story. Wannie gazed solemnly at her and nodded.

"Well, except for the _poof_ part...since I returned to the dorm in normal fashion..."

“Ok...ok!”

Joohyun uttered the second word with more certainty than she felt at the moment. She looked at Seulgi, who gave a wry smile.

“I didn't quite believe it at first...but when I woke up to pee, I noticed that the Seungwan lump on the bed was tinier than usual.” Seulgi reached out to stroke the back of Wannie's head. “I don't think even Seungwannie was aware of the situation until this morning.”

Seulgi glanced askance at Joohyun. “She _knows_ stuff, unnie. Stuff that I have only ever confided in Seungwan before. As incredible as it may seem, this child _is_ our Seungwan.”

Joohyun's eyes softened. “What kind of wish would have resulted into this?” she asked Wannie quietly.

Wannie looked down, playing with her fingers on her lap.

“I was...I was stressed...with work... and practice... And my voice...recently, it just doesn't come out they way I want it to!”

She shook her head in frustration, pounding her fists against her knees.

Joohyun enclosed Wannie's tiny fists in one hand, and used her other hand to cup Wannie's chin, lifting it up so Wannie's eyes met hers. She nodded encouragingly.

“I didn't even wish for anything in particular, ” Wannie smiled wistfully. “I remembered walking with the old lady across the park...children were playing on the swings...” She shrugged a hand free from Joohyun's grip and enclosed Joohyun's thumb in a tiny fist. “They were just so happy...so carefree, you know? I wondered what it would feel like, even just for a day, to be that worry-free..." Wannie let out a shaky breath. "Then the old lady smiled at me, patted my head, and disappeared.”

Wannie shivered, and Joohyun engulfed the child in a comforting hug.

“We have to tell the others.”

Seulgi's weighted words were met with silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this story in PAB era, hence the hair color ^_^


	3. Three

Yerim barged into Seungwan and Seulgi’s room, heading straight for their wardrobe cabinet.

“I'm borrowing Seungwan-unnie's socks.”

Wannie, Seulgi, and Joohyun froze in their tracks. Yerim barely noticed the silence (and the people) in the room.

“Seulgi-unnie, what were you on about this morning? I just read your message.” Yerim asked, rummaging through Seungwan's sock drawer and pulling out a pair of gray ankle-length woolen socks. She scrutinized the pair, nodded in satisfaction, then turned towards the room to seek out Seulgi. “Did Seungwan-unnie hog the blankets again?”

With a clear view of the room, Yerim barely registered Joohyun's presence. She zoomed in on Wannie, who was leaned back against Seulgi, nestled on the bed between her legs.

“OMG! A baby!” Flinging the socks back into the drawer, Yerim rushed to greet Wannie, extending hands making grabby motions. “Hi, baby! My name is Katie. What's your name?”

Wannie looked sleepily at Yerim. “Son Seungwan,” she mumbled. She snuggled deeper against Seulgi and closed her eyes.

The somewhat-familiar-sounding name went right over Yerim's head.

“Ugh, how cute!” Yerim cooed. “Thon Theungwan?” she repeated.

“It must be past her bedtime.” Seulgi rested her chin on top of Wannie's head, glancing at Joohyun questioningly. 

Joohyun stood up and clutched her phone, Leader Mode activated.

“First things first. We need to inform the managers that Seungwan can't come with us to our schedule today. We'll say she's sick and contagious and that we've quarantined her in your room with warm blankets, a cold compress, and medicine.”

She checked the time again- 6:30.

“Thankfully, it's just an appearance at a store opening. We don't need to perform any songs at the event.”

Yerim looked up from her position on the floor in front of Seulgi and Wannie. “Wait, what? Seungwan-unnie's sick?” She tilted her head to look behind Seulgi, seeing only empty beds and rumpled sheets.

Seulgi missed Yerim's question. “But wouldn't they want to see Wannie? To check her condition for themselves. They'll be concerned too, of course.”

Joohyun thought hard. “After today's schedule, we would have no other public group appearances for at least 10 days. If we can find a way to keep them preoccupied...” She ran a hand through her hair. “...until when, though,” she muttered.

Yerim stood up and turned towards Joohyun. “Unnie's sick?” she asked again, more seriously this time.

Joohyun and Seulgi looked at each other, then at Wannie.

Yerim frowned in thought, then her eyes widened.

"You can't mean... SOOYOUNG-UNNIE!!!”


	4. Four

Poke. Poke. Poke.

“Stop poking me, Sooyoung-ah.”

“Awww, I can't help it! You're so cu~te...and sma~ll~.”

Sooyoung gave Wannie's cheek an affectionate pinch, before settling down beside her at the dining table.

On Wannie's other side, Yerim had finished slicing Wannie's breakfast– an apple and a hard-boiled egg– into tiny, bite-sized pieces, and had scraped them onto Wannie's plate.

Wannie picked up her fork. “I'm still your unnie, you know.” She glared up at Sooyoung, before spearing an apple slice with a vengeance. She shoved the piece into her mouth and chewed.

Sooyoung and Yerim exchanged UwU smiles over the top of Wannie's head, then proceeded to squeeze her into a hug from both sides, ending in big, wet smooches on Wannie's fluffy cheeks. Wannie struggled to escape from their hold, only finding relief when the two decided to turn their attention back to their food.

Wannie rubbed her cheeks with her hands, mouth turned down in disgust. She wiped her hands against the hem of her shirt. On ordinary days, the shirt reached loosely past her waist. At the moment, it ended just above Wannie's ankles. She glared at Yerim, then at Sooyoung.

“Just you wait. When I get back to normal, I'll-”

Sooyoung grinned and ruffled Wannie's hair. “You didn't intimidate me when you were normal-sized. What makes you think I'll be scared of the midget that you are now?” she taunted.

She held Wannie's arm to steady her while she adjusted the phone directory stack they placed her on so she could reach the top of the table.

“Stop teasing Seungwan.” Joohyun smiled, setting a frying pan of sizzling bacon down onto a pot coaster at the center of the table.

She gazed fondly at the child who ate her breakfast sulkily across from her. Seulgi sat down beside her, bringing a pitcher of orange juice from the fridge.

The maknaes had been updated on the current situation, and had played vital roles (featuring award-winning acting performances) to ensure that the managers do not step foot into their dorm for the time being.

“You know what? You're unbelievable, Seungwan-unnie.” Sooyoung said through a mouthful of food. She swallowed and took a sip of her juice. “The one time you decided to go out of the house on your own, you managed to get yourself into this?”

“She's right,” Yerim chimed in, shaking her head in disbelief. “Save an old lady from bullies and get a wish granted? This stuff only happens in movies.”

Seulgi looked up from buttering her toast. “Seungwannie just can't let wrongs go un-righted, huh?” she laughed.

“Three against one is hardly fair, don't you think?” Wannie said matter-of-factly. “Nevermind the fact that they were ganging up on a defenseless old woman.” She took a sip of her orange juice.

“Three?” Yerim's eyebrows shot up. “How big were they?”

Wannie screwed her face in thought. “Middle school? Not much taller.”

Sooyoung straightened in her seat. “Wait, what?”

Joohyun set her fork down on the table with a _clack_. “What were you thinking?” At Joohyun's tone, everyone stopped and looked at her warily. “Three people? Did you think you can handle them all by yourself?”

“I'm 24.” Wannie enunciated, gritting her teeth. _I'm not a child. I can take care of myself._

Seulgi reached across to pat Wannie's hand. “That's not the point, Wan-ah. Why didn't you call the managers– or me– for backup?”

“There were people around. Those kids wouldn't dare do anything in front of possible witnesses.” Wannie said stubbornly. “Even the maknaes don't get babied like this.” she complained, looking down at her plate.

“At least Yerim would have had the sense to call for help.” Joohyun's voice rose with each word. “You, on the other hand, rushed in unarmed-”

From opposite sides, Sooyoung and Seulgi placed a hand on Joohyun to calm her down, cutting off her tirade.

Yerim reached out to tuck a stray bang behind Wannie's ear. “You forget– I'm stronger than you, unnie.” She grinned, then added softly, “You do know we worry, right?”

Wannie kept her head down, still sullen.

“Don't think we don't know that you would have reacted the same way if it happened to anyone of us, _Mom_.”

After a moment, Wannie nodded resignedly. She looked up to catch Joohyun's eyes.

“I'm really sorry, unnie.”

Joohyun's gaze softened, and she broke into a lopsided smile.

“Me, too.”

Wannie looked around the table at the other members.

“I'm sorry for making you all worry,” she said remorsefully. “I'll try not to be as impetuous with my actions again.”

The members, who had experienced the drama unfold with bated breath, let out relieved sighs.

Sooyoung, in particular, had been monitoring the tsundere exchange with a shit-eating grin.

“GROUP HUG!” she shouted without warning, throwing herself onto Wannie.

Yerim immediately followed, giggling.

“Guhhhhh.”

Squished Wannie groaned, frowning in disapproval.

“GROUP HUG!”

Mouths forming childish grins, Seulgi and Joohyun jumped up from their seats and ran around the table, enclosing the maknae line together in a tight squeeze.

An even more squished Wannie flailed her arms in protest, but failed to hide the smile that spread across her face at the warm atmosphere.

 _Family_.


	5. Five

“Okay, Seungwan-ah. We're leaving for a while.” Joohyun patted Wannie's head on the way to the dorm's entrance. “I've prepared food for you in case you get hungry. It's in the green tupperware at the bottom-most fridge compartment.”

She leaned on the wall with one hand to balance herself while she put on outdoor shoes with the other.

One by one, the members passed by Wannie to the shoe and coat racks by the door. Wannie stood silently a few feet away, looking so forlorn that Sooyoung let out a laugh.

“Unnie, we're not going to be gone long.” Sooyoung bent down to Wannie's eye level. “It's just one schedule. We'll be back before you know it.” She reached out to give Wannie a soft pat on the cheek, before standing up and shrugging on a dark blue trench coat.

Seulgi looked at Wannie for a minute, then ran back into their room and came out with a huge, white, teddy bear. She placed Wannie's arms around its neck, its hind legs touching the floor.

“So you won't feel lonely,” she said, patting its tummy.

Wannie gave her an accusing look over the top of the bear's head. “Are you patronizing me?”

“Of course not. Now if you need anything, just give Seulgi- _unnie_ a call. Ok?” Seulgi tilted her head and directed an eye-smile at Wannie.

“And don't open the door for strangers,” Yerim added. “not even if they say they know us, or if they tempt you with candy.”

Wannie blew her bangs out. “Guys, I may look like a child right now, but I'm still an adult in here.”

Joohyun smiled, placed a hand on the doorknob, “We know. See you later~” then walked out, holding the door open for the other members.

“Bye, unnie.” The maknaes chimed as they followed their leader out of the dorm.

“Bye, Seungwannie~” Seulgi turned back to give a quick wave over her shoulder before exiting.

The door's automatic lock clicked shut behind them.

~o~

In the car, Yerim turned to look back at the dorm's facade, which disappeared from sight as their vehicle turned a corner.

“I'm worried about Seungwan-unnie.”

Joohyun laughed. “It's not the first time she's left alone in the dorm, you know.”

“Ahhh~ I miss her already.” Sooyoung grinned mischievously. “So cute and small and absolutely can't fight back when we bully her with love.”

***ka-talk***

The members checked their phones simultaneously.

 _ **Seulgi:**_ _Wannie <3 What are you doing~? [WavingRyanTheLion.jpg]_

They turned to stare at Seulgi, who looked up from typing her messages.

“What? I miss her, too.”

~o~

Back at the dorm, Wannie lugged Seulgi's bear into their bedroom and heaved it over the bed, climbing up to lie down beside it. She stared up at the ceiling, wondering what to do with the unexpected free time.

 _That old woman._ She never had to miss a group schedule before, and felt heavily guilty about it. She had not felt this stressed since she caught a cold and had to miss Sooyoung's surprise birthday party earlier in the year.

 _What worry-free life? I didn't want_ _**this** _ _._

Granted, if the situation presents itself again, she's pretty sure she would have still done the same thing.

 _Well, the stress that came with dance and singing practice sure went away,_ she mused. _because I freakin' can't do that now– with this tiny body and untrained voice!_

She shook her head.

_Enough with the negativity! I need to keep myself preoccupied until the members come back._

~o~

“Seungwan-unnie, we're home.” Sooyoung called from the door, easing out of her 3-inch stilettos. “And we brought something back for you~,” she sang out, shaking the paper bag in her hand.

She maneuvered herself out of her coat, hanging it on the topmost rack.

Yerim looked at her dubiously, “A Happy Meal?” She stepped out of her shoes and kicked them in the general direction of the wall. “You are _so_ gonna get it.”

Sooyoung grinned, wriggling with excitement. “I know! I can't wait!”

 _Kids._ Joohyun smiled, passing by the maknaes. She placed her bag on a chair, then scanned the dorm for any sign of the little purple-head.

On the floor beside the kitchen counter, a plastic crate of broken eggs lay open. A couple of phone directories were spread in disarray beside it.

_A burglar?_

Joohyun looked back in panic at the other members, who had been engaging in light banter by the door, before turning back to the dorm again.

“Seungwan-ah?” she called out carefully, feet leading her to the kitchen.

_She's not here._

She spared a glance at a half-spilled bag of flour on the floor behind the counter.

Alerted by Joohyun's tone, Seulgi, Sooyoung, and Yerim quickly entered the dorm behind her. A brief glance at the kitchen floor had them running around the place looking for their missing member.

“Seungwan-ah?”

“Seungwan-unnie?”

“Unnie?”

For a few minutes, the sound of heavy footsteps and doors banging open echoed throughout their home.

“Guys!” Seulgi called out from inside her and Seungwan's shared bedroom. “Guys, she's here.”

Following her voice to their bathroom, the others found Seulgi kneeling in front of a sleeping child. Wannie was leaned against the wall in a corner of the bathroom, bundled in a blanket, and with dried tear tracks forming a path down her flour-stained face.

Joohyun let out a breath she did not realize she was holding and knelt down beside Seulgi. She placed a hand on what she assumed to be Wannie's shoulder beneath the blanket and shook her gently.

“Wan-ah? You shouldn't be sleeping here.”

Wannie shifted, a hand coming out from her bundled form to rub a fist against her eyes. She blinked up at blurred shapes, before focusing on the person directly in front of her.

“Joohyun-unnie?”

Her eyes widened, and she sat up, glancing around to find the members looking down at her with relieved smiles.

 _The kitchen! s_ he remembered, scrambling to stand up with her blanket.

“I'm really sorry. The mess, I was about to clean it up, I swear, I was just– OWWW!”

Wannie reached out to rub a sore spot on her forehead and glared up at Sooyoung, who was leaning towards her, hand outstretched and a smirk on her face.

“Did you just flick me?!?”

“Calm down, unnie. The mess doesn't matter.” Sooyoung laughed. “We'll help you clean up later.”

Seulgi reached out to untangle the child-sushi bundle, with Joohyun helping to steady Wannie on her feet. Yerim took out a tissue from her purse and ran it under water in the sink before handing it to Joohyun, who proceeded to wipe the flour from Wannie's face.

Wannie looked down at her now-free hands, accepting their ministrations silently. When she looked up, her face was scrunched up in disappointment.

“I wanted to bake brownies for you before you returned,” she mumbled, bottom lip protruding. “but I couldn't even beat an egg with these arms. The flour totally did not cooperate, either. Guhhhhhhhhhh,” she growled, raised a tiny clenched fist.

Seulgi leaned in to catch Wannie's eyes. “And? Did baby Wannie cry out of frustration? Despair?” She grinned teasingly.

Wannie lowered her fist and directed her gaze elsewhere.

“ **No.** ”

“Puha-,” Yerim managed to squeeze out, before doubling over with guffaws. “hahahahahahahahahaha!”

The members stared at her, wondering if she had lost her mind. When her laughter petered out, she wiped a stray tear with her knuckle.

“Of course! Seungwan-unnie baking- that explains it.” Yerim grinned widely.

Knowing smiles spread across Seulgi and Sooyoung's faces. Joohyun shook her head, still focused on cleaning Wannie up. Wannie looked at the others in confusion.

“Seriously, Seungwannie. If you could have witnessed our panic when we arrived to find the dorm in that state...” Seulgi laughed, remembering her heart almost thudding out of her chest in fear.

“Ah, really,” Sooyoung complained. “I can't believe I'm worrying over an _unnie_ like this. I'm too young to have gray hairs.”

“I always bake stuff though.” Wannie blinked, remaining unaware of the situation. “What do you _think_ happened?”

“A burglar, unnie,” Yerim explained. “We walked into a messy dorm, stuff broken on the floor, and immediately thought someone had broken in and possibly hurt you.”

“I don't know why I reacted that way either,” Joohyun gave a lopsided smile, wiping the last smudge of flour from Wannie's face and fixing her hair. “Everything made sense in hindsight.”

She knotted her brows, coming to a realization. Standing up, she reached her hand out to enclose Wannie's, and made her way into the bedroom. The members trailed along behind her.

Joohyun sat down at the edge of Seulgi’s bed, pulled Wannie onto her lap, and looked around at her members.

“You all know it right? We have to find a way to get Seungwan back to normal, as soon as possible.”


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Joohyun sat down at the edge of Seulgi’s bed, pulled Wannie onto her lap, and looked around at her members. “You all know it right? We have to find a way to get Seungwan back to normal, as soon as possible.”

The members nodded in silent agreement.

“As much as I love playing with kid Seungwan-unnie,” Yerim started.

“...we are getting _way_ too overprotective of her.” Sooyoung continued. “I trust Seungwan-unnie with anything, but this is unnie in a _child_ ’s body...” She looked to Yerim.

“Perfectly uncharted territory.” Yerim supplied. “Nowadays she’s always at the back of my mind, you really can’t help but worry.”

Wannie sighed. “She feels bad too, and wants to tell her members that she’s really, really sorry,” she looked down, clenching and unclenching her hands on her lap. “for causing this inconvenience.”

Joohyun’s quick reflexes caught Sooyoung’s hand before she could flick Wannie’s forehead. “Kids–,” she admonished. She batted away another attempt from Sooyoung’s free hand, and glared at Yerim, who appeared to be approaching with the same intention. Yerim stopped in her tracks. Sooyoung shook her hand free and walked over to a wall, leaning back against it.

“This has already thrown us into a loop,” Joohyun said wryly, steering their conversation back to the issue at hand. “I don’t doubt it will eventually spill into our roles as Red Velvet.”

 _Not that we can honestly explain what happened to Seungwan if we have to_ _go to our next schedule without her, though._

Seulgi sat a corner of the bed, knee folded beneath her; she turned her body towards Joohyun and Wannie. “Let's face it– even on normal days, Seungwan can be pretty absent-minded. Don't look at me like that, Wan-ah–,” Seulgi shot an eyesmile at Wannie, who was narrowing her eyes at her. “–you can't even keep track of your phone most times.”

Wannie pursed her lips. “Acknowledged.” She gazed absentmindedly at the pattern on the room's faded wallpaper. “I...want to go back, too,” she said softly after a brief pause. “I miss singing.”

Sooyoung blew out a breath and pushed herself out from her position, approaching the conversation circle centered around Wannie. “Okay! Now that we have established what we want to happen, how do we go about making it...well...happen?” She put her hands on her hips, her expression determined.

The group collectively scrunched their faces in thought.

**\---**

  
  


“Ideas, anyone?”

**\---**

“Wan-ah, before you...changed...did the lady give you anything? Candy? Something you ate the day before you ended up like this?” Seulgi tilted her head questioningly.

“Yeah! Like the mushroom that Alice from Wonderland took to grow smaller!” Yerim chimed in excitedly.

Wannie shook her head slowly, eyebrows knotted. “There wasn't anything...”

**\---**

“Did you experience head trauma before this happened? A ball hitting your head, walking face-first into a pole?” Sooyoung rattled off possibilities. “Something that could've made you black out for, like, 5 seconds? The magic could have happened then.”

“No...” Wannie sighed, looking down at her palms dejectedly.

**\---**

Joohyun's arms went around Wannie shoulders, pressing the child against her chest and laying a cheek on top of Wannie's head. “We'll fix this, Seungwan-ah,” she said in a voice so soft, Wannie wondered if she was reassuring her, or herself.

“The reasonable thing to do,” Joohyun proclaimed, shifting Wannie on her lap so she could look around at the other members. “would be to retrace Seungwan's steps before this happened. The only thing we are sure of is the existence of the mysterious old lady who grants wishes,” Her tone dropped decisively. “so we go out and find her.”

  
  


* * *

**Operation: Find that Magical Lady (FML for short) - Day 1.**

_Seulgi._

  
  


“But...why can't I come with?” Yerim whined, pouting as she watched Joohyun fix the collar of Wannie's outfit for the day– a normal-Seungwan-sized white polo shirt, and kiddie suspender shorts that Sooyoung- _unnie_ got for her. Yerim had also managed to filch a pair of sneakers from home for Wannie, an old pair that her little sister had already grown out of.

“We've talked about this.” Joohyun stated, giving Wannie a once-over, before nodding in satisfaction and standing up to face Yerim. “It would be less likely to catch people's attention if we go out individually instead of as a group.”

The members huddled by the dorm's front door, and the maknaes watched enviously as Seulgi, holding onto one of Wannie's hands, fitted a baseball cap snugly over her eyebrows. Seulgi wore a light-pink flowery one-piece dress– a non-Seulgi type of outfit– as part of her “I'm not Seulgi” FML search disguise.

“No fair!” Sooyoung took up the whining relay, though she was all but resigned to the fact that Seulgi, having won fair and square via rock-paper-scissors, got to go out with Wannie. “I want to spend time with the baby, too...”

Wannie shot Sooyoung a glare with all the hostility her 2-foot frame can throw. Sooyoung grinned at her attempt (it didn't work) and aimed kissy-faces back at her.

Joohyun brushed non-existent lint from Wannie's hair, causing her to look up, and smiled at her softly. “Are you ready?”

Wannie nodded determinedly. In her unoccupied hand, she clutched a piece of drawing paper containing a cartographic sketch of the lady that she had met on that fateful day at the park. Seulgi had tried her best to form something distinguishable out of all the generic details that Wannie could remember, but after glancing at the finished product, the members collectively thought it would have been less effort to click and print the first “old lady” picture that comes out of Naver.

Nevertheless, armed with the optimistic ball of fluff that was Wannie, they prepared for the search with a reservoir of hope.

~o~

Their short trip to the park went smoothly, unnoticed. Upon reaching the crosswalk across from the park, Seulgi switched Wannie’s hand to her right, then pressed the WALK button. They watched the pedestrian lights, waiting for their turn to cross.

Seulgi hummed. “I wonder what we’re going to do today~” she singsonged.

Wannie pulled at her hand and Seulgi looked down, smiling at Wannie’s confused frown.

“We’re supposed to be looking for someone, Seul.” Wannie said in serious, chiding tone. Seulgi’s mouth twitched from holding back a smile.

Wannie gestured for Seulgi to come closer, and when she leaned down to eye-level, Wannie reached out to fix her cap for her.

The pedestrian lights beeped, signalling them to cross. Seulgi and Wannie hurried across the street and headed into the park.

~o~

_Grwrrrooorwrrrwwwwwrr._

Wannie looked at Seulgi, who blushed.

“Hungry?”

Seulgi nodded.

“Me, too.” Wannie admitted, clutching Seulgi’s shoulder. Sometime during their search, Seulgi had taken to carrying Wannie around, noticing that the child was growing tired from moving around the place.

Seulgi scanned the park, spotting a hot dog cart a few meters away. Walking over and settling Wannie at one of the empty tables nearby, she strode to the cart, skimmed the menu, and placed her order. While waiting, she glanced at Wannie and smiled. The child sat with her hands on her lap, swinging her legs to and fro. She noticed Seulgi looking and flashed her a polite-cat smile. _Cutie._

“Here you go, miss.” The hot dog vendor handed her her order, gesturing towards the side of the cart where the utensils and condiments were placed.

Seulgi grabbed a couple of forks and some napkins and headed to their table. She placed Wannie’s hotdog and fork in front of her and took the seat across. Stabbing one of her own hotdogs, she took a bite, and watched as Wannie used both hands to try and maneuver the food to her mouth. Seulgi crinkled her nose fondly.

“Here, let me.” Seulgi took Wannie’s fork to chop the hotdog into bite-sized pieces, then handed it back.

Wannie smiled gratefully, dimples showing. “Thanks, Seulgi!”

“No prob.” Seulgi replied, resisting the urge to reach out and pinch her cheeks. She finished the rest of her hotdog and set her fork down.

Placing an elbow on the table, Seulgi leaned her chin into her palm and watched Wannie as she ate, tracing the journey of the food from the paper tray to her mouth. _Stab, lift, chomp, chew chew. Stab, lift, chomp, chew chew._

After a while, Wannie noticed that she had stopped moving. “Seul? Why aren’t you eating?”

Seulgi straightened in her seat. “I think I’m done,” she said, patting her stomach and feigning a sad expression. “Do you want to have the rest of my food?”

Wannie eyed her remaining hotdog, glanced at her suspiciously, then shrugged. “Sure.”

Seulgi grinned. She quickly chopped the rest of her hotdog into tiny pieces, stabbed a piece, and extended it to Wannie’s mouth.

“Say ahhhh.”

Wannie raised her eyebrows and stared at Seulgi’s fork, then at Seulgi, then at the fork again. Finding nothing amiss, she opened her mouth to take the food in. _Chew chew._ Wannie turned back to her food to grab another bite.

Not missing a beat, Seulgi stabbed another piece and shoved it at Wannie. Wannie’s mouth automatically opened, food is deposited, and fork retracted. This time around, Seulgi stabbed three pieces and extended her hand to Wannie, who crinkled her brow. She shook her head, still chewing food from her last bite. Seulgi pouted, waving the fork in front of Wannie’s face until the child relented and opened her mouth again. Once Wannie accepted the bite, Seulgi quickly grabbed the phone she had placed on the table.

 _Swipe. Tap. Tap._ Click. _Flash._ The unmistakable action of a picture being taken. Click. _Flash._ Click. _Flash._ Make that _multiple_ pictures.

“Hffay!” Wannie stuck a hand in front of her face to block further shots, mouth working overtime to finish the remainder of the food in her mouth. Swallowed. “What’s the deal?!” The glare Wannie aimed at Seulgi melted into a pout. “Seulgiiii,” she whined.

Seulgi was grinning from ear to ear as she checked her pictures. “Too cute!” She stopped on a photo and flashed the screen to Wannie– it was of her with cheeks puffed out from the food. “Hamster Wannie!” She brought her phone back and tapped a few times on the screen.

***ka-talk***

_**Joy:**_ 😍😍😍

 _ **Irene:**_ _Cute_ 😊

 _ **Yerim:**_ 😭 _wanna eat her cheekies_ 😭

Wannie sighed, wiping her mouth daintily with a napkin after she finished the rest of her food. “I can’t believe you.” She pressed her lips and shook her head resignedly.

Grabbing another napkin, Wannie stood on her chair and leaned towards Seulgi, placing one hand on the table to close the distance between them. Seulgi hurriedly grabbed her arm to steady her.

Wannie stretched out her hand and wiped the ketchup smeared around the corner of Seulgi’s mouth, face scrunched in disapproval. “You little kid,” she said, settling back onto her chair.

“Thanks, Seungwannie~” Seulgi singsonged, smiling at her affectionately.

They continued with their search until dusk set in, the dimming light conditions forcing them to return to their dorm empty-handed.


	7. Seven

**Operation: FML - Day 2.**

_Yerim._

“Okay,” Yerim pressed the end of her pen to her lip, thinking, as she pored over a sheet of paper that had been laid flat on a bench seat. Wannie sat opposite her, staring at the same document.

It was Yerim and Wannie’s turn on the FML operation, and the start of the day found themselves situated on a bench positioned around one of the park’s many scenic fountains. This particular one had the water originating from the jar that a woman in a toga dress was seemingly pouring.

The moment they had arrived, Yerim had pulled out and unfolded a detailed map of the park. Apparently, years of babysitting her sisters in that very same area had given her ample time to take note of various sections of the place– the location of the playground, restrooms, food carts. Even something as trivial as which trees give the best shade in a specific park section had been marked. Yerim had brought a printed copy of her cartographic masterpiece for their search.

“We are currently here,” Yerim pointed at a spot on the map. “so I’m thinking if we go around this way–” She traced a path with her pen, marking out a search route. “–we can cover more ground. Then maybe by noon we can proceed to– _why_...are you looking at me like that?”

Sometime during Yerim’s plan-making, Wannie had stopped paying attention to the map, and had taken to staring at Yerim with an unreadable expression.

“What?” Yerim asked warily, bringing a hand up to rub at her brow. “Is there something on my face?”

Wannie tilted her head and bit her bottom lip. “You’ve grown so much, Yerim-ah,” she said softly, her face breaking into a proud smile.

Yerim looked away, embarrassed. “Yeah, well.” She clutched her map and stood up, ready to begin their search.

“When did you become so mature?” Wannie hopped down from her seat. “Don’t grow up _too_ fast. You’re going to make your father and I feel lonely,” she said in a joking tone, and a contradictorily wistful expression.

~o~

The day was drawing to a close. Yerim’s planned search route had allowed them to cover more than half of the mapped areas, but was not able to yield positive results. At the moment, the pair were strolling along a marked jogging path and finishing off cotton candy that they had bought for “extra energy”.

Yerim pulled Wannie to one of the outside sinks as the child was licking the last of the sugar confection from her fingers. She washed her hands to remove the sticky residue, activated the hand dryer, then lifted Wannie to do the same. When Wannie finished, she set her down and squatted in front of her.

“I’m really sorry, unnie.” Yerim murmured, fixing Wannie’s bangs and flattening her collar. The lack of progress in their search had put both in a downcast mood.

Wannie _tsked_. “Really, Yerimmie?” She reached out to ruffle Yerim’s hair. “What are you sorry for?” She patted her head, then stayed her hand.

Yerim moved to remove it, but stopped when Wannie continued softly. “Even though we don’t say it much, your unnies and I notice, Yerim-ah.” Wannie brought her hand down, meeting Yerim’s eyes. “You’re doing well. You’ve always done well.” She tapped Yerim’s nose and smiled fondly. “I hope you know it, too.”

Yerim blushed. Returning the smile, she circled her arms around Wannie...and pulled her into a noogie. “Ugh, you’re _embarrassing_ me!”

“Ahhhh!” Wannie shrieked as she tried to dislodge herself from the headlock. “Yerim–” she warned in a threatening tone as she struggled against Yerim’s hold.

“I was sorry about the _search._ ” Yerim released Wannie, laughing lightly. “I can’t believe you somehow managed to make it about me.”

She gazed at a disgruntled Wannie, whose bottom lip stuck out in a petulant pout, as she attempted to regain her dignity by smoothing down her mussed-up hair. Grinned.

_Smack._

Wannie sighed loudly, exasperated eyes meeting Yerim’s mischievous ones. She rubbed at the spot on her forehead that had been the target of Yerim’s stolen kiss.

“Geez.” Wannie muttered grumpily. “A _thank you_ would’ve sufficed.”

She turned and started walking home, Yerim falling into step behind her.


	8. Eight

**Operation: FML - Day 3.**

_Sooyoung._

“Are you sure you’re up to this, Sooyoung-ah?” Joohyun asked, eyes following Sooyoung’s lethargic movements as she slipped on a pair of light gray sneakers. “I can take over for today’s search...”

Sooyoung glanced at Joohyun. “I’m sure.” she said, a bit stubbornly. “It’s my turn to spend time with Seungwan-unnie. You guys already had her the last couple of days.”

The truth was that Sooyoung’s alarm had barely managed to wake her up that morning. She had come in late from a solo schedule the day before– a CF filming in a location outside Seoul. She was beyond exhausted, but she wasn’t going to let a minor inconvenience get in the way of her spending more time alone with her favorite unnie.

Wannie and Seulgi exited their shared room, the former wearing another Seungwan-shirt– a gray jersey, and pink LED rubber shoes care of Yerim ( _Look, they light up!_ ). Joohyun approached them and quickly got Wannie wearing a Hamtaro backpack before the latter knew what had happened. The child looked at her in exasperation.

A squeal. Click, _flash,_ whirr _._ Wannie turned to find Seulgi holding a camera in one hand (where did _that_ come from), and waving a polaroid film in the other.

“This is definitely going on the fridge,” she grinned, blowing on the slowly developing picture.

If Wannie didn’t know any better, she would have sworn her members were already planning a whole life– complete with a college education plan and trust fund– around her not being able to go back to her original form...which was ridiculous!. _.right?_

The group (minus Yerim, who was hanging out at a friend’s place) once again found themselves by the dorm entrance, sending off the next pair for their FML operation per a now-established search schedule. Today would be Sooyoung’s turn to accompany Seungwan.

Sooyoung’s face lit up when she saw Wannie, beckoning her to come closer. Wannie moved to stand beside her and clutched the portion of Sooyoung’s jeans that she could reach. A rolled-up copy of the person sketch had been placed in her backpack’s front pocket.

“Ready?”

Wannie nodded, and the pair set forth after exchanging goodbyes.

~o~

They had been walking around the park for more than an hour, and Wannie noticed that Sooyoung’s steps seemed to be getting heavier and slower. She tugged on Sooyoung’s pants, managing to pull her without much resistance over to a shaded park bench. “Sit.” she directed.

Sooyoung looked at her, confused, but obeyed. They stared at each other for a good fifteen seconds.

“Sleep.” Wannie commanded. Seungwan’s mom tone came out with Wannie’s lisp, causing a corner of Sooyoung’s lips to quirk up in amusement. She waited quietly as Wannie attempted to climb up beside her.

Laying her hands flat on the seat, Wannie tried to heave herself up– “Hnggh.”– and failed. Her face took on a determined frown. Sooyoung watched, entranced, as Wannie put her effort into a second attempt. She took a step back, placed her weight on her legs, and jumped, throwing her weight forward towards her target. “HNGGH!” She unceremoniously failed, losing her balance and falling on her butt.

Springing up almost immediately from the ground, Wannie dusted her clothes and reached her arms out to Sooyoung, averting her eyes in embarrassment. After a couple of seconds of watching the child squirm, and only after Wannie said “ _Please, Sooyoung-_ unnie _._ ” through gritted teeth, Sooyoung picked Wannie up and placed her beside her on the bench.

Sooyoung smiled down at her, then looked forward, and exhaled through tightly-pressed lips.

“I...can’t really rest comfortably here, Seungwan-unnie.” She confessed. “For one, this bench is,” she shifted in her seat to emphasize a point. “so hard I can already feel my butt cheeks getting numb; for another...”

Wannie sighed. “I figured.”

She knelt on the bench and tugged Sooyoung’s knee towards her. When Sooyoung obliged, Wannie shuffled onto Sooyoung’s lap, settling on the space between her thighs. Sooyoung instinctively curled her arms around Wannie to keep her from falling off.

“You can’t sleep without your favorite plushie, right? The one you always bring with you on long-haul flights.”

Sooyoung stared at the purple head that is now a couple of inches below her chin, wondering where this conversation is going.

“You can...” Wannie blew her cheeks out, as if coming into terms with a difficult decision, then exhaled her next words in one breath. “… _usemeforabit_.”

“What?”

“Ugh… you… if you need something to hug so you can _sleep_.”

From Sooyoung’s perspective, the tips of Wannie’s ears appeared to be getting redder.

“Like, I’m just about the same size, right? And overall shape if we’re being picky. Though I’m not too sure if I’m soft enou—guuuh.”

Wannie’s monologue was interrupted by Sooyoung’s arms tightening around her in a hug, or a rib-crushing, intestine-rearranging squeeze if she was being honest about it. Sooyoung buried her face against the back of Wannie’s neck. Loosening her grip just enough to allow Wannie to lean back against her chest, she enveloped her in a soft bear hug, resting her chin on the top of Wannie’s head.

“Haaaa~a.” Sooyoung’s voice cracked suspiciously on the syllable. “I love you, unnie.”

“I know.”

~o~

“Any luck?” Seulgi asked when they got back from the park.

Eyes meeting guiltily, they both turned towards Seulgi with faces slightly swollen from sleep and shook their heads.


	9. Nine

**Operation FML - Day 4.**

“Soooo,” Yerim kicked a stray pebble in her path, stopped, and pivoted to wait for her members. “Here we go agai~n,” she intoned unenthusiastically.

The fourth day of their search finds the members with less hope than when they had started. After taking the individual search route, they had finally decided that they had nothing left to lose by going out and doing a group search this time around. To put it simply, with the next group schedule fast approaching, they _need_ to work double-time to find their target.

The park is empty save for a few passers-by, as expected for 2 p.m. on a weekday. A good thing too, given the don't-look-here-we're-not-celebrities attire of caps, face masks, and loose sweatshirts that the group had donned to avoid catching attention as Red Velvet.

From their current position, Sooyoung noticed that their disguise does not seem to be working well. A few people who had happened to glance their way were already doing double-takes. She relayed this to the other members, who agreed that it would be better to split up to search– less eye-catching, and they would be able to cover more ground that way.

The group split into Joohyun-Seungwan, Seulgi, Sooyoung-Yerim. Yerim handed out printed copies of her map, with highlights in different colors splitting the area into three sections. The members checked their location assignments.

“Guys,” Seulgi addressed the elephant in the room. “How would we _know_ if we find the right person? Do we even have the slightest idea of what we should be looking for?”

The group had forgone the cartographic sketch they had initially started with, having confirmed through experience that it was of absolutely no help. Three days of searching and skimming through faces in crowds had muddled their impression of the person they had been trying to find.

The members turned to look at Wannie, who bit her lower lip, suddenly unsure. “Um, she's...” She gesticulated wildly with her tiny arms. “...old.” The members groaned. “I remember she had gray hair tied up in a bun...”

Yerim rested her chin on her thumb and index finger. “Now herein is a dilemma. If we find an old lady whose hair is _not_ in a bun, do we automatically dismiss her as being ‘ordinary’?” She knotted her eyebrows and pursed her lips in pretend thought.

Sooyoung took up the same thinking pose “Elementary, my dear Watson.” She affected a British accent and stroked an imaginary beard. “We have to consider the possibility that our lady could have let her hair down, wanting to break free from the constraints of society.”

Yerim nodded. “What _is_ it with little old ladies in buns, though?!? Are we putting people in boxes?” She had taken to gesturing empathically with her hands. “I mean, is it _not_ possible for our lady to wake up one morning and decide to put her hair in pigtails, for a change?” She smashed a fist on her palm for emphasis.

Wannie pressed her palms to her cheeks and pulled her face downward, dispirited. She ceded to the maknaes’ valid point beneath all the mockery. “Yeah, I guess we can’t really rely on a hairstyle to identify her...”

Joohyun shook her head, smiling at the members’ playfulness. She glanced back at Wannie and prodded encouragingly. “Do you remember anything else?”

Wannie blew out a frustrated breath. “I'm really sorry. Believe me, I'm racking my brain right now trying to recall anything from that day that might help us.”

“We know, sweetie.” Seulgi smiled. “We'll find her, I promise.”

Yerim sighed. “An old lady with gray hair–who may or may not have her hair in a bun, huh?” She crossed her arms. “Well, that description narrows it down to... like 80% of the old ladies we'll find around Seoul.”

“80%?” Seulgi asked.

“Yeah, the 20% being old ladies with white hair.” Yerim replied.

“Ah,” Seulgi nodded in agreement. “Makes sense.”

“Doesn’t it?” Yerim grinned smugly, tapping a finger against her temple twice. “Smart.”

“Kids.” Joohyun reminded the members in a mom tone.

Seulgi tilted her head, staring blankly in thought. “What else do we notice in people, though...”

“Ah!” Sooyoung exclaimed, snapping her fingers as she tried to find the word. “Height?” she asked Wannie.

Wannie narrowed her eyes measuringly at Sooyoung. “She was a little shorter than me...”

“Um...unnie...” Yerim gestured with a hand to reiterate how short Wannie is at the moment.

Wannie ignored Yerim’s obvious teasing. “I meant shorter than _original_ me.” She swept her eyes across the group and stopped at Joohyun. “About Joohyun-unnie's height.” She nodded affirmatively.

The members all turned their attention to Joohyun, whose face reddened at suddenly becoming the subject of discussion. Embarrassed, Joohyun reacted by poking Wannie's forehead lightly with her forefinger.

“Yah! Me? Shorter than you?!?” _Poke. Poke._ “In what universe?” _**Poke**_ _._ The last poke made just a tiny bit harder, causing Wannie to lose her balance slightly before she caught herself with a leg behind her.

“Ah, sorry, Seungwan-ah.”

Wannie smiled angelically up at her; no harm done.

Almost immediately, Yerim was standing behind Wannie, pulling her a few feet away from Joohyun. She placed her hands on the top of Wannie's head. “Unnie,” she complained. “Bullying babies now, are we?”

“I, wha-?” Joohyun sputtered in disbelief.

Seulgi and Sooyoung moved to flank Yerim, arms crossed and faces formed in matching looks of disapproval aimed at their leader. Sooyoung tsked. Seulgi tsked.

“What the..” The sudden coup rendered Joohyun speechless.

Wannie, oblivious to the ongoing standoff, volunteered another point she remembered about their search target.

“Ah! She had- like- a birthmark shaped like a rain boot on her hand.” She pointed at her own forearm to show the approximate location. “By her right wrist, about the size of a 500 won coin.” She bobbed her head and grinned toothily, proud of herself for remembering that little tidbit.

Above Wannie's head, Yerim, Seulgi, and Sooyoung eyed Joohyun accusingly for a long 10 seconds.

Joohyun cracked under their gaze. “I'm...sorry?” she said hesitantly.

They continued glaring at her for 3 more seconds, before exploding into fits of laughter. Joohyun and Wannie looked at the three, confused.

“HAHAHAHAHA!” Yerim wheezed. “Your–hahahhaha–face!”

“Sorry, unnie,” Seulgi said, holding a hand against her stomach, which ached laughing too much. “We were just fooling around with you, you know.”

It was Joohyun's turn to glare menacingly at the trio.

Sooyoung, the first of the three to keep her laughter in check, grinned widely at Joohyun. “Ah, cuuuute. Joohyun-unnie is just so fun to tease.”

At this, Joohyun knotted her eyebrows and stuck her lips out in a disgruntled pout.

Sooyoung reached out to pinch her cheek and Joohyun swatted her hand away before it could reach her face.

“Okay!” Joohyun huffed, clapping her hands loudly a couple of times. “Kids, focus.” She steered the conversation back to the original topic. “We need to find that magical old lady. Seungwan gave us information that would hopefully help us distinguish her...”

“Or...” Wannie piped in cheerfully. “You could just take a picture and send it to me!”

The members gaped at her, shocked speechless at the blatantly obvious solution.

“I, that…” Yerim shrugged. “Yeah, that would work.”

Sooyoung and Seulgi gave impressed nods, mumbling their agreement.

Joohyun looked around at the others, taking Wannie's hand and checking the time on her wristwatch. 2:20.

“Let's split up. If anyone finds anything, send out a message. We’ll meet up by that fountain later.” She tilted her head in the direction of a round fountain with a cherubim sculpture in the middle of the park.


	10. Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warning: violence, profanity, attempted kidnapping.  
> Please mind these before proceeding.

5:07 p.m.

For the nth time, Joohyun stooped to show Wannie the picture one of the other girls had sent to her smartphone, of a lady vaguely matching the description of the person they were looking for.

Wannie squinted up at her screen, then scrunched her nose and shook her head sadly. It wasn't her.

Joohyun sighed and stood, typing in the negative reply to their group chat.

They had been walking around the park for more than 2 hours with nothing to show for their efforts. It won't be long before the sun sets, depriving them of natural light and making their search that much harder.

“Unnie,” Wannie said in a tiny voice. “My feet hurt.”

She had been feeling weary for a while– little feet covering long distances– but did not want to be a burden, especially since the members got pulled into this whole situation because of her.

Joohyun looked down at Wannie's bowed head, her small foot toeing the ground in the front of her, and smiled softly. “Tired?”

Wannie peeked up at her and nodded.

Joohyun surveyed the park, spotting a kiddie playground not far from where they stood. She grasped Wannie's wrist loosely and led her to the sandbox beside the jungle gym, where Wannie promptly detached from Joohyun's hold to approach a little girl with Pucca hair playing in a corner by herself.

Wannie crouched down in front of the girl, dipping her head to catch her eyes. She appeared to be younger than the current Seungwan.

“Hello, I’m Seungwan,” Wannie smiled hopefully at the girl. “Would you mind if I played with you?”

Behind them, a couple of little boys played with toy dump trucks and action figures, unsupervised.

The girl looked up from the tunnel she was digging and glanced at her curiously. “Theungwan?”

“Or Wannie, whatever’s more comfortable.”

The child nodded. “I'm Anna,” she answered.

Anna glanced at the plastic shovel she was using to dig around and extended the toy to Wannie, who took it gratefully.

“Thanks, Anna!” Wannie grinned.

Anna smiled shyly at Wannie, then turned her attention back to building a sand castle. Wannie decided to build a moat around it “to protect the princess,” she had declared determinedly.

Joohyun stayed for a moment to ensure that Wannie had settled in comfortably, mystified at how quickly and easily she made friends. After a while, she strolled over to a nearby park bench that had a clear view of the playground.

Joohyun sat down and glanced at her watch– 5:25 p.m. The sun was already on its way down, casting a purplish orange glow in the sky. She stared at the phone in her hand, trying to decide if she should call off the search for today; the members must be feeling exhausted and hungry by now.

\---

On the opposite side, a few meters away from the jungle gym, a stocky man in a suit and black sunglasses flicked ashes from the cigarette nestled between his fingers. He took a long drag off of it, dropped it to the ground beside him, and put it out with the sole of his black Oxfords. He had been eyeing Anna for a while now, and had decided to make his move after finishing his cigarette.

\---

A man approached the sandbox with a friendly smile plastered on his face. “Anna,” he called out.

Anna looked up from her sand castle to identify who was calling her, while Wannie remained focused on digging the widest, deepest moat she can make.

It wasn't long before the man reached them, extending a beckoning hand to Anna. Anna stood up, dusted her hands, and approached him hesitantly. It was then that Wannie became aware of the man's presence.

“I'm a friend of your father's.” The man smiled sheepishly. “He got held up at work because of a last-minute meeting, but he didn't want to keep you waiting.” He took out an ID badge from his pocket and flashed it quickly to Anna. “I'm a junior from the same company.”

Wannie placed her shovel on the ground and wiped her hands on her shorts as she shuffled forward to stand beside Anna. She stared at the man cautiously; he spared her a glance, then turned his attention back to Anna.

Anna turned to Wannie, eyes wide with excitement. “I have to go, Daddy sent someone to pick me up!” She pounced on Wannie for a quick hug, “Thanks for playing with me, Wannie.. _unnie_?”

Wannie nodded absentmindedly, eyeing the stranger over Anna’s shoulder.

Anna let go and backed away, smiling. Turning back to the man, she reached out to put her hand on his waiting palm, before Wannie quickly pulled on her sleeve to stop her.

“Wait, Anna...” Wannie viewed the man with suspicion. “I don't think you should go with him, we’re not sure if your father really sent him.”

The man dropped his hand to his side, eyes turning hard, mouth forming a tight-lipped smile.

“What do you mean, little girl?” He took a step towards them. “I showed my ID, didn't I?”

He looked to Anna for confirmation, and Anna nodded.

“Come on... we wouldn’t want to keep your father waiting...”

He took Anna's arm by the elbow and started walking away from the sandbox, Anna tottering to keep up with his pace. Wannie ran to tug at his arm, eyes turning back to seek Joohyun, who was preoccupied with her phone and unaware of what was happening.

“Wait, please.” Wannie resorted to pleading. “We can just call Anna's father to confirm. It will be quick– just this one thing– and I promise I won’t cause a fuss afterwards.”

She tried to pull the man (attached to Anna) towards where Joohyun was currently seated.

The man followed Wannie's gaze and, sensing the danger of being found out, roughly shook Wannie's hand off.

“Now see here, little girl.” He growled, all pretense disappearing. “I was sent here to bring this child,” He tugged at Anna's hand and she stumbled towards him. “back to her father. Stop trying to make things difficult. I have more important things to do than spend time running errands for parents who are too busy to pick up their own children.”

At this, he turned and walked briskly away from the playground, dragging Anna with him. Anna winced as he tightened his grip.

“No, stop!” Wannie cried out, reaching out a hand that barely grasped the leg of the man’s pants. She scrambled out of the sandbox to follow them. “Sir, _please_ , stop!”

Wannie ran towards the man, catching up through pure adrenaline, and somehow managed to cling to the arm that was holding onto Anna. Her weight did nothing to slow him down as he (and by circumstance, Anna and Wannie) veered off the grassy lot surrounding the park and onto a jogger's path.

A few meters more and he would reach the minivan he had left just on the outskirts of the park, and then he'd be home free.

\---

Joohyun video-called the other members. Seulgi, alone, and Sooyoung and Yerim, together, picked up from different locations within the vicinity.

“Hi girls, it's getting late...” Joohyun said reluctantly. “I think we should put off the search 'til tomorrow morning.”

Seulgi, background showing that she was leaned back against a tree, nodded. “Yeah, it's getting dark out here. Makes searching much more difficult.”

“Ahhh~h I've seen little old ladies to last me a lifetime.” Yerim complained from beside Joy, her face popping up at the corner of Joohyun's screen. “I think I could draw them in my sleep now.”

Sooyoung giggled, nudging Yerim jokingly aside. “Where are you, unnie? We'll come to you.”

“We're by the kiddie playground.” Joohyun replied, looking around for the first time in a while to check on Wannie. “Seungwan got tired so I left her by the sandbox to rest and play around for a bit– hey, HEY!”

Joohyun shouted at an entity that is not visible to the other members through the phone. The call dropped.

Seulgi, Sooyoung, and Yerim stared at their phones. _WTF?!?!?!_

\---

Joohyun had never run so hard or so fast in her life. All she knew was that a stranger was taking Seungwan with him, and she'll be damned if he succeeds.

“Hey, HEY! LET HER GO!” She shouted, hoping her voice would deter the stranger, before her body caught up with them.

The man must have heard her, because he quickened his pace. He hoisted Anna up against his shoulder with his free arm, unintentionally dragging Wannie– who does not want to let go– with him. He broke into a jog towards the direction of his parked car.

\---

“Stop, please!” Wannie was shrieking now, tears forming in her eyes from panic and fear. “Joohyun-unnie! Help! HELP!”

“Wan-ah!” Joohyun shouted, chasing after them. “Let them go, you bastard!”

Why was nobody stopping them? _Are we the only people in this whole damned park?!_

\---

Composing herself through her fear, Wannie maneuvered her body around the man's arm while hanging on for dear life. She eyed his hand, readied herself, and lunged, biting hard.

“AUUUUUUUUUGHHHHH!” The man howled in pain, having no choice but to acknowledge that the inconvenience that was Wannie had become a hindrance to his plan.

He slowed down, brought back the arm that Wannie was attached to–

Joohyun, just meters behind him, saw what he was about to do and screamed. “NO!”

– and bashed Wannie's body against a tree, one of the many sturdy ones scattered throughout the park.

“Guh.” Wannie released his hand and shook her head, disoriented. She somehow managed to retain her life-grip on his arm through sheer force of will.

The man brought his arm back once more, his intent clear, then BAM! From out of nowhere, a blur rushed in and tackled the man to the ground, catching him off-guard and knocking him unconscious.

Joohyun slowed to a stop in front of the pile of bodies on the ground, confused. “Yerim?!”

Sooyoung and Seulgi followed not far behind Yerim, faces red and rage obvious in their expressions.

With the criminal incapacitated, his would-be captives were able to escape.

Anna scuttled away from under him, shaken but unharmed, and staggered to a nearby tree where she collapsed against it roots.

Wannie, finally realizing that it was safe to let go, disentangled herself from his arm and stumbled back. She managed to get a few feet away from him before her legs gave way and she flopped onto the ground, dazed.

Joohyun and Seulgi were at her side in an instant, hands cupping her face, checking her body for injuries.

“Are you ok, Seungwan-ah?”

“Does it hurt anywhere?”

Sooyoung watched concernedly from a distance, helping Yerim immobilize the unconscious man by pulling his arms behind him and leaning her knee against the small of his back.

Wannie winced when Seulgi's hand managed to prod a sensitive spot on her back. “Ow! Haha, I think that's going to bruise,” she said lightly, grinning at Seulgi.

Seulgi shook her head resignedly, ruffled Wannie's hair, and stood. “We need to call the police,” she said decisively, moving away to get better reception.

Joohyun pulled Wannie closer, sitting the child on her knee and wrapping her arms securely around Wannie’s waist. Wannie leaned back against her, all adrenaline from the day’s events wearing off.

_Sniffle._

Sooyoung glanced around for source of the sound.

“Yah! Kim Yerim!” Sooyoung let out a strangled laugh. “Are you _crying_?”

Yerim rubbed her palm against her eyes. “No,” she muttered, wiping her face on the sleeve of her shirt and adjusting her dead-weight position curled against the man’s legs.

“Yerm?” Wannie leaned forward, concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you hurt?” Joohyun cast Yerim a worried frown.

“No, it’s just, I don’t understand...” Yerim said in a muffled tone. “How could anyone _do_ this? To a child _..._ to _Seungwan-unnie_ , for heaven’s sake.”

_This unnie can't even hurt a fly._

“I was so scared,” she admitted.

Sooyoung regarded Joohyun and Wannie broodingly. “I think we all were,” she said softly.

Joohyun’s arms tightened around Wannie, recalling the panic of that moment. She did not even want to think about what could have happened if the others had not arrived in time. Wannie patted Joohyun’s hand.

“I’m okay,” Wannie smiled at her members reassuringly. “It’s okay, guys, I’m fine. It was a perfectly-executed rescue. Thanks for saving me,” she grinned, batting her eyelashes. “ _My_ heroes _._ ”

Anna, having stayed quiet until then, approached Wannie slowly and made her presence known to the latecomers. They had somehow missed her through the tunnel vision brought about by all the excitement.

Joohyun set Wannie on the ground, and the latter waved Anna over.

“Oh?” Sooyoung tilted her head and voiced out her surprise. “Where’d this squirt come from?”

Anna tottered to Wannie and grasped her hands. “Are...are you okay?” she asked in a wobbly voice.

Wannie beamed at her. “Yep! No harm done!” she bragged, flexing a bicep to prove her point.

She patted Anna's head, smoothing down hair that had become disheveled during the ordeal. Stepping back, she scanned the other girl for signs of injury, and nodded in satisfaction when she found none.

“Don’t worry,” Wannie grinned, thumping her chest proudly. “Unnie took care of it.”

“Pffffffft.”

Behind Anna, Wannie saw Sooyoung and Yerim trying to hold in their laughter. She narrowed her eyes at them.

“Unnie-sickness~” Sooyoung stage-whispered to no one in particular.

“What are we, chopped liver?” Yerim complained.

“With a lot of help.” Wannie conceded.

Seulgi ended her call and shuffled back to the group. “The police will be here in a bit,” she said, giving the premise a quick once-over. “I'll stay here with...” She looked at Anna, eyebrows raised.

“Anna.”

“...Anna,” Seulgi smiled comfortingly at the child. “and explain what happened. You guys better clear out. It would be hard to explain Wannie, and all the Red Velvet members being here could make front page news.”

Yerim stretched her arms out in front of her, cracking her knuckles. “Are you sure you don't need backup, Seulgi-unnie?” she asked. “What if he suddenly wakes up?”

Sooyoung nodded in agreement, and Joohyun and Wannie turned to Seulgi worriedly.

From a distance, they heard sirens approaching.

“Fine.” Seulgi gave in. “Sooyoung, can you stay back with me?” She glanced at Sooyoung, who gave a thumbs up. “It'll be easier to explain how this man got knocked unconscious if there are two of us. Yerim-ah, please go back to the dorm with Joohyun-unnie and Wannie.”

“Alright, let's do that.” Joohyun stood and took Wannie's hand in hers. She beckoned to Yerim, who walked over to stand beside her. She glanced at the still-unconscious man, then eyed Seulgi and Sooyoung. “We'll see you back home. Take care of yourselves.”

Sooyoung saluted, “Yes, ma'am.” She dropped her hand and grinned. “See you later, guys.”

“Bye, Anna.” Joohyun gave her a motherly smile. “Take care, ok, sweetie?”

Anna nodded politely at her. She looked back at Wannie, stared, then ran over to give Wannie a quick peck on the cheek.

Wannie flushed, raising a hand to her face. The other members laughed at her surprised reaction.

“Thanks for saving me, Wannie-unnie.” Anna flashed her an eye-smile, before running back to Seulgi. “Bye~!” She waved at the now-retreating trio.

“Bye~!” Wannie waved her unoccupied hand at them. “Bye, Anna! See you later Seulgi-ah, Sooyoung-ah!”

Wannie grabbed Yerim's hand and tugged at Joohyun's, and the three of them soon disappeared from sight.


	11. Epilogue

“We're back.”

Seulgi walked into the dorm with Sooyoung in tow. She scanned the dorm for signs of the other members while easing out of her shoes. Behind her, Sooyoung shrugged off her coat and hung it on their coat rack. They made their way into the dining area, following the light and the sound of muted conversation.

Joohyun sat at the table with a half-full wine glass in hand.

“Welcome back,” she said softly, raising a corner of her lips in a smile.

On the chair beside her, balanced on a neat stack of directories, Wannie slept– her head resting on her folded arms, and an empty glass of milk in front of her. Yerim sat at Wannie's other side, chin resting on her left palm, her right hand holding an ice pack against Wannie's back.

She lifted her eyes to smile at the newcomers. “She tried her hardest to stay awake, but fell asleep waiting for you two.”

Sooyoung smiled back at Yerim, then raised both eyebrows at Joohyun's wine glass and shook her head in mock disapproval.

Joohyun crinkled her nose in acknowledgment and let out a tired sigh. “It's been a long day.”

Sooyoung smirked and walked towards the refrigerator. “I could use a beer myself,” she said, tugging open the fridge door and rummaging through the beverage compartment.

Seulgi quietly pulled back a chair to sit opposite Joohyun. Sooyoung flopped down beside her, beer can in hand. She popped it open, took a long swig, then set the can on the table. Before she could take another sip, Seulgi grabbed her beer and finished the rest in three big gulps.

Sooyoung, Joohyun, and Yerim stared at her, scandalized.

Seulgi placed the can down and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“It's been a long day,” she said, giving a halfhearted shrug.

The members silently agreed. They stared at the child sleeping peacefully in front of them.

It was Joohyun who broke the silence.

“How did it go?”

“It went smoothly, thankfully.” Seulgi replied. “No more unwelcome surprises for the night.”

“As far as the police is concerned, we just happened to be in the right place at the right time.” Sooyoung added. “Major downplay of our roles in this drama, focusing on Anna as the only protagonist. I think we did well covering our tracks; although fingers crossed that no tabloid ever gets ahold of this story.”

“We'll just deny it, if it happens.” Joohyun stated matter-of-factly, taking another sip of her wine.

“How is she, by the way?” Yerim asked, referring to Anna.

“She should be fine. We left her with the police after making sure that her parents have been informed, and will be coming to pick her up.” Seulgi replied. “Then we hightailed it out of there before we could be recognized. The kid was surprisingly calm, all things considered.” She stated, impressed.

“That's good.” Joohyun commented.

Again, silence.

“I think we should get some rest.” Joohyun decided. “Tomorrow...is another day to try and find that lady.”

The other members nodded and stood. Yerim placed the ice pack on the table and smoothed out the back of Wannie's shirt. She gently patted Wannie's cheek, and the child opened her eyes blearily at her.

“Unnie, we need to get you to bed.”

Wannie, half-asleep, reached out to Yerim with both arms. Yerim hoisted her up, and Wannie settled against her shoulder and closed her eyes.

Joohyun walked over to the sink, draining the last bit of wine from her glass. She placed the glass in the dishwasher, then washed her hands. Seulgi maneuvered behind her to throw the beer can into their trash bin.

Sooyoung lingered at the table, remembering something. “I...” she started.

Yerim, Seulgi, and Joohyun turned to look at her.

“When Seulgi-unnie was giving her statement to the police, I was left to entertain Anna...”

\---

“ _Please wait here.”_

_The officer guided Sooyoung and Anna to a corner of the precinct, to what appeared to be their receiving area, then left with Seulgi to fill out some paperwork._

_Judo puzzle mats carpeted a space that is sparsely furnished with a 3-seater couch, a coffee table stacked with car and fashion magazines, and a small bookshelf containing illustrated children’s books. A water dispenser flanked by huge potted plants lined one end of, serving to separate the space from the office part of the precinct._

_Sooyoung removed her shoes by the mats, watching as Anna did the same, and walked over to settle cross-legged on the mats, leaning back against the body of the couch. Anna crouched in front of the shelf, tracing the books’ spines with her fingers._

“ _Do you want unnie to read you a story?”_

_Anna peeked at Sooyoung, who smiled back at her._

“ _If you see something you like, bring it to me and I’ll read it for you.”_

_Anna glanced towards the shelf, skimmed the titles, and pulled one out–_ The Sleeping Beauty _._

_She walked back and extended the book to Sooyoung, who took it, patting the space beside her. Anna sat down and leaned against Sooyoung as they both pored over the story._

“ _...and they lived happily ever after!”_

_Anna scoffed._

_Sooyoung glanced at her, surprised._

“ _I take it you’re not a fan of happy endings?”_

_Anna shrugged._

“ _It’s the same old story. Snow White, The Little Mermaid, this. A kiss to break the curse.”_

_Sooyoung chuckled in amusement._

“ _Not just_ any _kiss, it must be a kiss of_ true love _,” she supplied. “Only a true love’s kiss would have the power needed to break the spell.”_

_Anna frowned._

“ _That’s just it. How can it be true love if these people are complete strangers? Would_ you _kiss someone you just met?”_

Is she really having discourse with a child about the diversity presented in Disney stories?

_Sooyoung regarded Anna carefully. Suddenly, this child seemed way too mature for her age._

“ _Sooyoung-ah. I’m done. Let’s go back.”_

_Seulgi approached the pair, a policewoman in tow. Anna stood up and walked over to them._

“ _Anna, could you give this nice lady your parent’s contact details? She will make sure to...”_

_As Seulgi droned on with instructions for Anna, Sooyoung stood slowly, thoughts running rampant inside her head._

Was Seungwan-unnie cursed? It doesn’t make sense... she only tried to help. Why would anyone curse a person for doing a _good_ deed?

“ _Sooyoung-ah?” Seulgi repeated, calling Sooyoung's attention again after relaying her instructions._

Unless that lady was…

_Sooyoung felt the hair at the back of her neck stand on end._

_Anna glanced back at Sooyoung and shook her head, flashing a knowing smile._

“ _Silly. Why would I curse my favorite angel?”_

\---

“Whoa.” Yerim whistled softly. “Talk about weird.”

Joohyun narrowed her eyes in thought. _How curious._

The members glanced at Wannie, who was snuggled comfortably against Yerim's neck.

“So, should we…?”

Then a flood of confessions.

“Yeah, I’m not sure if that would work.”

“Honestly, I may have stolen a kiss once or thrice in the past few days.”

“Remember that time we smooched her cheeks during breakfast?”

“She looked _so_ cute when she was sleeping.”

“She looked _so_ cute when she was eating.”

“She looked so cute just existing.”

It was apparent that the members could not (and did not) resist showering Wannie with love and affection whenever they felt like it.

“Hnnn.” Wannie groaned, shifting in her sleep.

“Let’s just talk about this again tomorrow.”

Yerim smiled in agreement, adjusting Wannie in her arms.

“I better get Seungwan-unnie to bed. She's getting a bit too heavy for me.”

She shuffled towards Seulgi and Seungwan's bedroom.

“See you guys tomorrow. Good night!”

“Good night!”

The others chimed in, off to do their pre-bedtime routines.

~o~

“GOO~D MORNING!” Yerim banged Seulgi and Seungwan's door open.

Seulgi shifted under her blankets, pulling one end of her pillow over her head to cover her ears.

“Go _away_ ,” she whined.

Yerim strode into their room unremorsefully, tugging their curtains open.

“Today is another _be-a-_ _ **u**_ _-ti-ful_ day! The earlier we start, the faster we can get to searching for that lady~”

She jumped up onto Seulgi and Seungwan's beds, bouncing around to wake the two occupants.

Seulgi growled in frustration, realizing her efforts to go back to sleep were now futile. She hurled a pillow, eyes still closed, in the general direction of Yerim's voice and bouncing position. She missed and got a raspberry in return.

Sooyoung entered the room, just as perky, and focused on Seungwan’s still-unmoving blanket-covered lump. She approached the bed, making grasping motions with both hands.

“Seungwan-u~nnie,” she sang, reaching out to tickle the lump awake. _Hn?_

A squeal– and _not_ the high-pitched child's voice she was expecting– came from under the blankets. The body part that Sooyoung had grabbed a handful of from the shapeless lump was not child-sized either.

The blanket shifted to reveal a fully-grown Seungwan, hands splayed across her chest protectively. The over sized t-shirt that kid Wannie wore as a nightshirt had adjusted to its normal fit. Seungwan's eyes widened when she noticed, tugging at her blanket to cover her legs.

From within the room, Seulgi, Yerim, and Sooyoung came to the same realization simultaneously.

Seungwan's eyes watered, and tears rolled down her cheeks unchecked. Before she could raise a hand to wipe them, she was pummeled with hugs from all directions. The resulting thuds and shrieks woke Joohyun up, and she wandered into the room to check the commotion. It wasn't long before another body was added to the Seungwan burrito.

“I, wha, how?” Seungwan managed to stutter out when she was finally released. “I don’t think we even came _close_ to finding her!”

Seulgi and Joohyun looked at each other, eyes widening.

The previous night’s conversation, of kisses and curses, suddenly seemed much more relevant.

“ _...my favorite angel...”_

They turned to meet Yerim and Sooyoung's equally shocked faces.

_(Anna) looked back at Wannie, stared, then ran over to give Wannie a quick peck on the cheek._

And the four burst out laughing hysterically, leaving Seungwan staring at them in confusion.

**fin.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Outro: *hums "One of Us" by Joan Osborne* *eyes that one character from the Goblin K-drama*


End file.
